, 1887-02-24
MOOSE HUNTING.
ONE MAN DOES THE WORK WHILE
THE OTHER SEES THE FUN.

The moose seeks his food where the yell
low water lily ia found. 1t is not, how
ever, the leaves nor the blossoms which
are sought, but the roots. These extend
in u perfect network through the mud in
which they grow, attaining a thickness
exceeding "a mans arm and an indefinite
length. There is no disputing about
tastes, and consequently We will not
~criticise the moose for being so fond of
this vegetable. But to the human palate
1t is dry, insipid and puckery. To obtain
this he will wade out into tho water and
souse his head beneath the surface until
even his cars are submerged. Then hay
ing wrcnched n chunk of greater or less
length from its bed, he withdraws his
head, and, dripping water from each OF
tho numerous angles which characterize
HIS ugly p~hysiognomy, he stands the
picture of pure animal enjoyment, chew
ing away nj one end of the root, while the
other stic,ss out of his mouth like a cigar.
To catch him in tho middle OF this per
formance Is tho constant burden Of the
hunters prayers.
Should the night promise TO be still,
warm and dark, the hunter scours the re
flcctor Of his jack until 1t shines like sill
yer, and breathes upon and wipes Its glass
lens until 1t Is speckless. The lamp within
| OtA I'm q 'k"ft ''
Ing must be 20 constructed that not the
faintest glimmer can escape until Its aid
Is required, and Il hinged cover, which
caps the glass, is dropped.
In this, as in most other forms OF moose
hunting, two form the company-one to
do the work while the other takes in the
fun--and, as in many other things in this
life. ultimate success depends more on
the skill OF the former han on that of the
latter.
After the jack has been Lit some twenty
minutes, so that the maximum of light
possible without smoke is assured, the
pair betake themselves to the canoe.
Blankets ARE spread on the bottom Of the
boat to deaden any motion OF the feet.
He who is to shoot seats himself in the
bow, while his companion first wraps him
in blankets and then arranges the jack.
This ia best suspended from u frame be-
hind the rineman; but 1t should be SO
connected with his head that the beam of
light VIII follow its every motion when
the jack is open. With the glass uncov-
cred, the rifle is thrown to the shoulder,
and the connection Of the jack with the
headgear is SO adjusted that when the
most convenient aim is taken 1t will be
directly in the center Of illumination.
Thus both sights Of the rifle are perfectly
visible, and the difficulty is no longer to
shoot with accuracy, but only to obtain IA
sufficiently distinct view Of the object to
be hit.
When this is complete the other takes
his place in the stern, folds his blanket
over his lap, and, grasping his paddle,
pushes from the hank. The jack is then
closed, and complete arkness and silence
follow
As nolseless as the hadow OF a cloud,
| ~. "a utanIa a1onn and hnnr uffpr
hour its occupants, relying solely on the
sense of hearing, strain every nerve to de
tect an indication of the near neighbor-
hood OF the game they seek.
Al Inst comes a slow and measured sound
-slosh, slosh, slosh; and then all is still
ngain. The heart Of the hunter shrivels
within him to the size of a lemon, II
flies into his throat, where 1t keeps up
such II humping that 1t seems impossible
that the noise should escape the quick ear
Of the game. With the utmost caution
the rifle is brought to the full cock, and
the left hand freed, ready TO open the jack
ut the preconcertcd signal, which it is the
duty OF the paddler to give.
Every ache and pain is at once forgotten
In the all absorbing question, VIII he re
main in the water or take 10 the bank,
and, burying himself in the woods, escapes
For he IL still far beyond the range of the
Jack, and not till IL will surely show him
up must it be opened. II the motion Of
the canoe was slow before, It seems doubly
so now, and minute after minute, each up
p%arently an hour, drags on, and still the
noise, repeated at intervals, seems no
nearer.
At length, after II seemingly endless de-
lay, comes the signal to open the jack,
and the light streams forth. There he
stnnds, mid leg deep in the water, dim,
shadowy and monstrous, his eyes glaring
green In the light, with the mnlevolence Of
"A demon. He will stay but for u second,
and only to decide which way to retreat.
Raise the rifle slowly, but lose no time.
Draw as careful a bead as though shoot
ing ut n two-inch bulls eye, and give 1t to
him right Throughout behind-the mid
die OF the fore shoulder. For u second he
smoke obseures the result. Is he down or
up In either case, dose him again II you
can; hut II you cannot, close the Jack ut
once. Now is no time to ask your conf
panion; Do you think | hit himl If you
were silent before, be doubly so now, and
listen. Does he burst into and tear
through the woods as though he had gone
into the kindling wood business and was
laying in IA winters stock, and 10 you
hear him crashing n smashing until the
sound dies away on the distant mountain
sldei 1t was n clear miss, or at best IL
Craze. But no; the uproar dies away and
Il silence you can almost feel ensues.
What sound Is that from the neighboring
woods There he isl You can hear him
breathe and wheeze at every inspiration.
1t is well. The shot was a little too far
back, but 1t was pretty well placed all the
samc Now withdraw with the stiffness
OF death itself, and o until at least
half n mile intervenes whisper to your
companion: well, l guess that's our
meat; what do you thinkS'
For il from N act of yours he discov-
ers what has hurt him. particularly If you
attempt TO land, he will either attack ut
once, in which case you will be in desperate
peril, or he will travel till he drops, perhaps
miles and miles away, and the foxes and
other mnrauders OF the forest alone will
profit by his death. Whereas II you leave
him to attribute his distress to a stroke OF
lightning or a fit OF indigestion, or to any
cause other han the agency OF man, you
will find him in the morning, If not lying
dead, where you last heard him, at all
events so enfeebled that you may still
hunt him with the certainty Of success
Henry p. Wells in Harper's Magazine.
Photographs of Surgical Operations.
DIR. Gerster, brother of the celebrated
prima donna, is making n collection of in